The Treasure Hunter

Dear Friends and family members,

I have been writing regularly in order to let you know that I am still active.  Although I try to send pleasant and interesting messages I have unintentionally hurt some people’s feelings.  I regret that and will try to do better, but I am determined to continue to communicate.  If you are interested, please respond and suggest things for me to write about.  Although I do not have new material, I still have old stuff available and some of it may still be interesting.  I will value any suggestions you send me.  Thank you for responding.

P.S. Even my television is cranky.  It has refused to operate today, but I will keep trying.

Joanne

Today I  am posting somethings written at a much better time than today.  I hope that are new for some readers, or still pleasing those who red it back then.  Every peace below was written by a child I taught in grades 5-8.

 Once upon a time, not my time and not your time, but once upon a time the moon was all alone in the sky. Now directly down there was a be aver village. Now that was a problem. Each night the beavers wouldn’t have enough light. Finally the genius of the beaver tribe had a council meeting. He glued a match on a board. By accident one of the beavers struck the match and a ball of fire shot up in the air. The other beavers thought it was weird, but from that day on they called it “Strange”. But they forgot how to pronounce it and started to call it “Star.” One day a new beaver said, “Look at the stars.” So nowadays we call them stars. And so it was that from that night to this night the stars have been twinkling.

       First Poem, but I don’t have the name of the author

A-A-Amanda, lovely Amanda
You are the only one for me
When the r-r-rainbows come down from the sky
I will be waiting at the kitchen door

I can say the ABCs
But I can’t say all the vowels
I can look at a statue
but I can’t be one
I can have a birthday every year
But I can’t have a birthday every day

“Go take a bath and wash your feet”
My mother says to me
I go take a bath and wash my feet
And call to let her see
Go take a bath and wash your feet
She says again to me
I go take a bath and wash my feet
But this is killing me!

Grant Wood’s Paintings

I felt sad and mad when my teacher told us that people did not like Grant Wood’s paintings in the beginning. When Grant Wood died, people noticed his paintings were good. I think his paintings are good, too, but I think they need more color.

Little Billy Willy
Was eating some chili
Was eating some chili quite hot
Said he, “It doesn’t matter
How much I get fatter
I’m just a little person after all.

Dear Mrs. Bohlman,
Please excuse my daughter, Julie for not handing in her homework. You see my husband is a wizard and left his lab door open by mistake. My two year old son. Jimmy, got in and took my husband’s Disappearing Potion and sprinkled it all over Julie’s homework. So now who knows where it is?

Sorry.
Nancy Field

Little old fox, little old fox
Where have you been
Sorting my socks
Said the little old fox
That’s where I’ve been.

I love the sound of birds whistling
The feel of leaves
The taste of juice
The smell of bread
The sight of my mother
I love them all

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream.

We children have a dream,too

I have a dream that the the world would be peaceful and beautiful

and there wouldn’t be wars any more.

I have a dream that all people that are homeless would have a home

I have a dream that the crops will grow strong so there will be no starvation

I have a dream that all countries could be friends

I have a dream that when a child’s mother or dad dies instead of being shifted around you could pick your own new mom or dad from some people who like you

I have a dream that the U.S. would put a space station in space.

Cookies
I like them
Ask me why
Because they are sweet
Because they are good to eat
Because they can be soft or crunchy
Because they are also munchy.
Because they are a wonderful treat
Because, Because, Because.
That’s why I like cookies

 My Favorite Book

“The Very Busy Spider” is my favorite book. Animals ask the spider if they can play with him. But he doesn’t hear them. He’s too busy making his web.

Der friends in the outside world,

Do you realize that life in a place where you have no family is more difficult than working at a hard job?  Although I have been living  well in Philadelphia for almost a year, I am now more lonely than someone in prison.  Yesterday at our building all  group activities were cancelled; no games, no group exercises, and no getting together  with other people to watch a movie in the auditorium. Right now the only way we may to communicate is by using our phones.  Unfortunately that is more difficult for me than   for others because I don’t remember their names.  So I can’t call their phones and talk to them.  Fortunately, I  remembered one person’s name last night and  I called her.  We talked for some time and she was very helpful. We pledged to talk again today.

I must end my complaining by assuring you that I am in better shape than I expected.  . Although I am  very bored, I am eating, drinking, bathing, and changing my cloths regularly. I have even been able to take a daily walk out doors. And I determined to survive. The only way you can help me is to communicate and suggest anything else I could do.  I have television, but almost everything on it is news.  So far the only other stuff is junk.

If you have any  advice for me I would appreciate it.  I would be pleased to play games with you if I am able to do so on my computer.

Thanks for listening to my complaining.  I can’t think of anything else to do right now.

Today’s message is several months old, but I did not post it back then.  Since I haven’t written anything recently I am sending  this old one now.  If you aren’t interested, just skip it and don’t complain to me.

Some months ago my son and I drove into a big city that I had never seen before because I have ben a small town resident for most of my life. Imedietely I was overwhelmed by such a noisy, crowded and dirty city for the first time and later I had a lot of trouble later getting around in it 

But I should have been prepared for that shock, because I had already read newspaper articles about the great poverty and violence going on in large cities across the country. They weren’t caused by criminals trying to take over a city but by new buildings and fast growing populations with inadequate housing and low-paying jobs. If what I had been reading in newspapers was accurate, those conditions were not going to get any better in the future.

What bothers me most about the mess in big cities is that I lived in smaller cities with businesses and had no problems. For instance, in Portland there is Nike, a company that has been making and selling their products for years and hasen’t damaged the city at all because it built outside  the town rather than inside it. Why haven’t other cities done the same? 

Well, there is an answer to that question. In most instances companies decided to move into a city because it is the most attractive and convenient place for their employees and buyers. And the fact that problems were created for shoppers and walkers just didn’t matter.

Although “what is done, is done”, there is plenty of space in our country for businesses to make better choices and serve everyone well. Although distant areas may be more expensive than nearby ones, they could provide better living for rural people and their children.

Dear frends,

On top of yesterday’s problems, someone here has become sick, so we are all confined to our apartments. I have food, water, television, my cat and this computer, but no one to talk to. or any knew information.  I  am well, but lonely.  So I would appreciate messages from anyone and any advice for me to stay awake and hopeful.

Joanne Yatvin

P.S. If you have any suggestion of something I could write about please let me  know.